There are many different designs for devices that can be used to mix a variety of wet and dry products. Some of these are used in continuous mixing systems, while most of them are batch-type mixers in which the products to be mixed are placed in an enclosure and then agitated. There are many known types of agitators in batch-type mixers, and many of them are limited for mixing a specific type of product. Also, there are known designs in which the enclosure itself is rotated or revolved or otherwise moved while stationary baffles inside of the enclosure provide the necessary agitation to mix the products. Depending upon the type of products to be mixed, many of these mixers are ineffective to thoroughly mix the materials. There is known a relatively simple mixer consisting of a cylindrical-shaped drum mounted eccentrically on an axis so that when the drum is rotated, the material will be moved from one end of the drum to the other and from top to bottom in a somewhat figure 8 type pattern. This type of design is very effective for thoroughly mixing dry materials, especially when one of the materials is a fine powder and the other is a heavy granular material. However, extending the shaft upon which the drum is mounted through the inside of the drum limits the usefulness of the drum and can make cleaning of the mixer more difficult, especially if the mixer is used to mix different products. For example, in many applications, it is desirable to remove the drum or remove an inner drum in which the material can be otherwise stored and shipped. The removability of the drum greatly increases the use of the drum and types of products that can be mixed and stored.
There is therefore a need for an improved mixer that can be used for a variety of dry products as well as some wet products.
There is a further need for an improved, simple drum-type mixer which eliminates some of the problems of cleaning so that the same mixer can be used for different products without the fear of contamination of one product with the other.
There is an additional need for an improved, simple drum-type mixer that is inexpensive to manufacture.